Handling Your Pet Snake

Many snakes enjoy handling and your snake may enjoy your touch. Others snakes may lash out and shouldn’t be handled unless it is urgent. Do your research and choose your snake carefully based on your knowledge and experience with snakes. Snakes taken from the wild don’t make good pets since they haven’t been handled and may lash out at you. Choose a captive-bred snake instead. Always handle your snake with kindness and respect. Be confident and act efficiently when handling your snake. Support your snake’s full length as you pick up your snake and as you handle him. Make sure that your snake knows there is no food at stake as you pick him up. Otherwise he might inadvertently bite you. Watch for signs of aggression that could put you at risk of injury. Wash your hands thoroughly after you put your snake back into his enclosure. For more information, contact your pet clinic Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Your Hedgehog’s Diet

Hedgehogs are mammals but they are different from guinea pigs, hamsters or rabbits especially when it comes to their diet. Your hedgehog is an insectivore. His diet must include high-quality protein such as chicken and lamb. You can feed him cat or dog kibble but it needs to be broken up. Your hedgehog has a small mouth and can’t gnaw like rodents do. Your best choice is feeding him a high-quality hedgehog pellet. They are somewhat hard to keep his teeth clean like the hard exoskeleton of insects would. Consider feeding your hedgehog freeze-dried insects as a treat if you aren’t squeamish. Your hedgehog needs fresh food and access to fresh, clean water at all times. Monitor his daily food intake to ensure your hedgehog doesn’t get obese. Check for any abnormalities in his stools that could indicate a need to adjust your pet’s diet. For more information, contact your Saskatoon, Saskatchewan veterinarian.